Dining at Uchi

Uchi – Austin, TX

If you’re not from Austin, then you probably don’t understand the meaning of dining at Uchi so let me bring you up to speed with a few quick facts

• Uchi is a contemporary Japanese sushi restaurant
• The name translates to “house” in English
• The menu consists of hot and cool tastings, sushi and sashimi. makimono, yakimono and tempura, and a changing omakase based on seasonal selections
• Uchi has a limited number of reservations per evening and the majority of its patrons are more than willing to wait 90 – 120 minutes to be seated
• Uchi’s owner & chef is Tyson Cole, whom won the 2011 James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southwest
• Chef Cole competed against Morimoto on Iron Chef America: Contemporary Japanese and although he lost, the score was close (49-43)
• Named one of Bon Apetit’s Top 10 Sushi Restaurants
• Featured on Zagat Guide’s Best Food in Austin
• GQ declared Uchi one of 2010′s Top New Restaurants in America
• Uchi has a sister restaurant, Uchiko, meaning “child of Uchi.”  Uchiko has also won a number of awards and is considered a more casual Japanese kitchen compared to Uchi.

Now that you understand how renowned of a restaurant Uchi is considered, let me share my experience with you…..

Uchi was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever enjoyed.  Each dish is delicious, but the food as a whole, is not the type of food that is crave-able.  For instance, I don’t believe I’ll ever eat at Uchi then 3 weeks later “crave” a specific dish and be compelled to instantly return.  I believe this is because their food is truly unique.

Uchi Sushi Preparation

Uchi

The food is presented in such a well displayed manner that it’s beautiful to simply look at.  The presentation forces diners to pause and enjoy the site before carefully consuming the food in front of them.  Each dish is perfectly balanced in flavors – acidity, sweetness, saltiness, and textures play an equal part in developing the flavors as a whole.

The consideration of each element that goes into a specific dish is complimented by the restaurant’s attentive and knowledgeable staff. Each waiter, waitress, sushi chef, and hostess we encountered knew the menu inside and out, was able to recommend wine pairings, and simplified the menu for our understanding   This ability to eloquently explain the menu without making a patron feel unintelligent is a feat that not all restaurant staff can accomplish.

Mackarel & Salmon Sushi

As for the atmosphere, Uchi is naturally beautiful.  Playing up the contemporary Japaenese style – taking advantage of rocks, aged wood, water pools, and a flourish of greenery.  Even with a 2 hour wait the experience was somehow calming, relaxing, and enjoyable.

Salmon Asparagus Roll

As for our meal, we were able to enjoy it while sitting at the sushi bar.  While some may believe that to be not as an intimate dining experience, I was ecstatic!   I love watching sushi chefs at work, looking at all the exotic, color ingredients, and speaking with the person preparing my food to learn more about the ingredients, technique, and the specialties of the menu.

Prepping a Salmon Roll

Display of Tobiko

M<3 and I started our evening off on the outdoor patio with a few glasses of wine and some grilled shishito peppers (one of his favorites at any restaurant!).

Uchi, April 2013

The peppers were perfectly cooked, not overly spicy, and simply salted.

Shishito Peppers

We were also treated to a few passed appetizers that are served to guests whom are waiting to be seated – we were able to taste spicy, apple slices. Who knew a well-picked apple and a salty-spicy rub could enhance the flavor of an apple so much.  We were also treated to some grilled cauliflower that I had been eyeing on the menu!Once we were seated, we were greeted with a watermelon granita, a palate cleanser.  Slightly sweet and refreshing!

Watermelon Granita

Miso Soup

Once we had time to review the menu and ask some questions to the chef and waitress, M<3 and I decided on a few dishes to split – miso soup, sweet-chili glazed brussel sprouts, a spider roll, and nasu (Japanese eggplant) sushi.

The soup was delicious & simple, just as miso soup should be.

Brussel Sprouts

M<3 is not a huge fan of vegetables but we both loved these brussel sprouts – so much so that I was intrigued enough to find a similar recipe online the following week. Again, this isn’t a crave-able food but just truly unique, delicious, and the perfect accompaniment to any Asian meal.

Spider Roll

Nasu (Japanese Eggplant) Sushi

The Spider rolll is M<3′s go-to sushi roll.  It’s a cooked roll with fried shrimp (or crab, at times – Uchi served their’s with shrimp), a spicy mayo sauce, and cucumber.  Uchi’s roll also had an eel sauce on the side, a sweet-salty mixture that made the Spider Roll mouthwatering!  The shrimp was cooked to perfection (I loved the crunch!) and the spicy mayo was careful to not overpower the other, lighter flavors in the roll.  I would definitely recommend this roll for non-sushi eaters!

I love eggplant, it’s one of my favorite vegetables and I had never experience it as nigiri.  This was slighty sweet, the skin added a bit of chewiness and the eggplant is self was melt-in-your-mouth soft.  It was a simple transition into heartier dishes.

Fresh Sea Urchin at the Sushi Bar

After our shared dishes, we each chose something a bit more exclusive to our individual tastes – I sampled, the chef recommended, machi cure  (aka: “sushi nachos” which is how the chef described them to me).  It was simple and fresh with lightly fried yuca, marcona almonds, asian pear, smoked yellowtail tuna, garlic brittle and tobiko.

Machi Cure – Sushi Nachos

Mayank chose to try the sasami yaki, an oak-grilled chicken breast with lemongrass and cilantro. He said it was one of the most moist and flavorful pieces of chicken he had ever tasted.

Sasami Yaki – Lemongrass Chicken

Since Uchi is known for their sushi, I had to try a couple of pieces on my own!  I chose the hotate (spicy scallop & avocado) and sake (simple, salmon and rice).

Hotate – Spicy Scallop

Sake – Salmon

Finally, we ended our even with a double dessert treat from the chef.  We were able to share the coffee panna cotta with white chocolate sorbet & mango and the lemon gelato with pistachios and white balsamic.  I  never thought I would enjoy white balsamic in a dessert but the lemon gelato was the dessert I kept going back for!

Coffee Panna Cotta

Lemon Gelato

I’m truly thankful to <3M for such a wonderful birthday dinner.  We both agreed that Uchi is a restaurant that we both want to visit again – though it’s definitely a special occasion type dining experience. And in the future, we’ll remember to plan well in advance to ensure reservations.

April 20, 2013

Cooking with Wine

My Mom had this saying, which she always found hilarious, though she never drank.  I’m sure you’ve heard it…

So in honor of the little meme that makes my Mother giggle,  today I cooked with wine – and restrained myself from sipping straight from the bottle. 

The cookies I chose to make combined my favorite red wine pairings – dark chocolate and dried cherries.  These cookies were healhified per my usual means and turned out delicious.  They can not only be considered heart healthy from the antioxidants found in the red wine, cherries and chocolate but they’re also low-cal and low-fat.  Very diet friendly!

If you’re in the mood for a treat and have some excess red wine to use up, I highly suggest this recipe!

Chocolate Cherry Wine-o Cookies

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup Smart Balance butter
• 1/4 cup Chobani 0% plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip minis

Preheat oven to 375°.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended.

Add vanilla, wine and egg; beat well. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until combined.

Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonful 2 inches apart onto nonstick baking sheets.

Bake at 375° for 8 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven; cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Yields: 38 cookies
Serving Size: 1 cookie
76 calories, 1.45g fat, 14.5g carbs, 8.7g sugar, 1.18g protein
http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/chocolate-cherry-cookies-3/

I bet you didn’t know…

That I’m a Jamba Juice Ambassador.

Yes, it’s an official title.

Sadly, this Ambassador-ship doesn’t grant me global amnesty but it does grant me the opportunity to live a long and fruitful life (#LiveFruitfully).

Now let me share how my Ambassador title came to be….

My little po-dunk hometown in upstate New York doesn’t have a Jamba Juice within a 1,000 miles of it which means I had never even experienced Jamba Juice until two years ago when I moved to Austin, Texas.  Thankfully, Jamba has a vibrant, fun logo and a brand name I was simply just drawn to and that, paired with my overwhelming love for smoothies, made us instant buddies.

My new Austin gym was conveniently located around the corner to a Jamba Juice which meant that after waking up at the crack of dawn to sweat it out before heading to work, I could reward myself with a protein packed, healthy  treat.  I loved that Jamba listed all its ingredients, provide nutritional facts that were easily accessible in the store and online, and everyone could customize their smoothie with add-ins like Energy Boots, Daily Vitamins, extra Protein, or a Metabolizer.  My love for Jamba was sealed upon the first sip!  I’d even talk <3M into grabbing “Special Drinks” with me on Saturday mornings.  It just became habit!

When we moved from Austin to NYC, I thought I’d have to scrounge around to find a Jamba Juice for breakfast in the morning but to my surprise, Jamba followed me!  On my way to work in the morning while living in NYC I walked by TWO Jamba Juice stores.  Oh, the smoothie possibilities were endless.  I could grab a smoothie for breakfast or make a quick trip there during the work day for an afternoon treat and so, our courtship continued in NYC.

Finally, after bidding a-due to my NYC life and making the move back to Austin, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that my new office was located a mere 3 blocks from a downtown Jamba Juice!  (Can you hear the Smoothie gods singing?)  We were meant to be.  When the call for Jamba Juice Ambassadors arose, I knew I had to apply and proclaim my love for Jamba Juice to the world!

After hearing about my love for smoothies, my new profound love for running, and my overall active, health conscious lifestyle, Jamba chose me!  (I already knew you loved me back Jamba Juice but now it’s official!) So from now on, be prepared for an increased outpour of smoothie pictures & Jamba love as I spread Jamba’s #LiveFruitfully message!

To start you off – here’s two of my favorite nutrient and protein packed smoothie options.

Post-Workout Smoothie
Vibrant Blueberry: It already comes packed with nutrients as a Pro-Biotic smoothie but add in a whey protein boost anyway!
Order a 16oz and you’ll end up with 280 calories, .5g fat, and a whopping 20g of protein!

Mid-Day Snack
Caribbean Passion: It’s a classic smoothie so order the 16oz and ask them to “Make It Light!” This will cut the calories, carbs and sugars by a third.
Again, throw in some added protein (soy this time) to increase the staying power along with a 3G Charger boost to help push through the afternoon slump.
Order a 16oz and you’ll end up with 195 calories, 0g fat, and 12g of protein!

 

If you happen to grab one of my favorite smoothies, Tweet me @LivinLyssa a pic and don’t forget to tag @JambaJuice & #LiveFruitfully

http://cmp.ly/2/7CRssX

Fails to Follow Directions

Confession: I suck at following directions, at least in the kitchen.

It’s not because I don’t read the recipe or  forget a step in the process.  It’s a deliberate, conscious effort to stray. The motivation behind this is mostly due to the fact that I always want to healthify my food. Healthify is probably foreign to most of you so let me explain.

Definition of HEALTHIFY (verb) the act of increasing the nutritional benefits of a specific food or recipe by substituting more nutritious ingredients

Examples of HEALTHIFY
“I just healthified this cake but swapping the oil for non-fat yogurt!”
“These cookies were healthified with flaxseed and whole-wheat flour.”
“We enjoyed healtified egg salad with avocado instead of mayo.”

Merriam-Webster, healthify is officially ready for insertion into the 2014 edition. Please remember to credit me prior to publishing.

Now, the only problem with healthifying a recipe is that you can’t healthify every ingredient. And I admit, at times, I get a bit carried away.
Whole Wheat Flour! Agave! Yogurt! Flaxseed! Almond Milk!

When you find yourself changing more than a third of the ingredients, it’s safe to say that you no longer healthified the recipe. You created an entirely NEW recipe – which is exactly what happened to me this weekend.

I set out to make my Mom’s traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Buttery, chocolatey, chewy goodness. And the kicker here is, that I had absolutely no intention of keeping any of these cookies for myself and began baking knowing I would be giving these away to friends.  But, my inner healthifying baker took over and before I knew it, substitutions were flying high.

• Half of the butter was replaced with greek yogurt
• All-purpose flour was mixed with whole wheat
• 18 ounces of chocolate chips became 4 ounces of semi-sweet mini chips, 1/4 cup of flaxseed, 1/3 cup coconut and a 1/4 cup raisins
• The sugar was halved and a squirt of agave was added

The kitchen, mid-healthification while I ran amuck searching for healthy swaps and additions.

Wham-Bam! My Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies were no more.

These babies had just completed 12 weeks at The Biggest Loser camp and after 11 minutes in the oven, they were ready for their big reveal. So how did these cookies turn out?  Let’s do a little comparison of the original recipe versus the healthified chocolate chip cookies.

Thoughts

Have you ever been so happy where you just walk around with a smile on your face?  The other day I was walking out of the elevator at work and had the biggest grin on my face.  All I could think was how goofy I  look to others but for some reason I didn’t care.  I knew if they asked me why I was smiling so large, my answer would simply be because I’m happy!

It’s strange, I had the same thought again this morning as well.  It wasn’t even 7am but I was up and out the door with Stella.  I watched her run ahead of me on her leash and wiggle her little stub of a tail. No one else was around and I was smiling – all to myself, just feeling happy! 

All I could think about was how thankful I am for my life.  I have an amazing boyfriend <3M!  Lots of times you hear girls get together and complain about their boyfriends but truthfully, I have very little to whine about.  We’re a normal couple, bickering when necessary but it never last long.  He helps around the apartment, takes care of responsibilities, always does his honey-do list, and surprises me with sweet little somethings at random.  I’m so happy to have him.

 Then I have this little gremlin of a dog, who’s the sweetest thing one moment then tearing through the apartment with a roll of toilet paper or my shoe the next.  But I could never stay mad at her. With this cute little under bite, huge personality, and sparkling eyes!  I love that she’s energetic and it’s always been my dream to have a little boxer to walk with M<3.  I wear my goofy smile on those walks with just the three of us too, repeating to <3M “This is what I’ve always dreamed!“

Honestly, writing it all down makes it sound too good to be true.  It’s almost scary that 1) It’s REAL and 2) It could be taken away but I’m so thankful and lucky for these moments in my life.

How to turn your Girlfriend into a Sports Fan

Your high-maintenance girlfriend, the one who gets a weekly mani-pedi, highlights her hair, and requires an hour to dress and primp to go grocery shopping, can be turned into a cheering, screaming, Sports Fan, rooting for you favorite team.  The transformation only occurs when three key factors align:

1) A Winning Team

If you want your girlfriend to cheer on your favorite team, make sure your team is a winning team.  Your girlfriend does not want to be dragged away from her favorite Real Housewives of New Atlanta Hills  show to accompany you to the bar to cheer on a losing team. 

If you’re team’s constantly losing then your girlfriend will probably never come to understand why you support them.  She won’t understand why you commit so much of your time and energy to team when you’re bound to be let down by week after week.  And the fact that after each loss, you mope around the house venting about what your team didn’t do right, only pushes her to further hone her ignore skills.

If your team can stand for improvement, then I suggest you find a new team or come to terms with the fact that your girlfriend will never be a Sports Fan. 

Examples of Winning Teams:

 

2)  Cute Clothes

Yes, I’m going stereotypical here but trust me, buy her the team clothes and she’ll eagerly begin supporting your team.  If she’s able to get dressed up, wear a specific outfit, and put time and effort into coordinating her outfit  and makeup to create the perfect combo of cute and “not too cheerleader-ish” then she’s no longer just watching TV, she’s attending an EVENT!  A social event at that! 

These clothes can range from a cute team scarf or hat, a well-fitted women’s shirt, or even a team jersey. Either way, as long as it’s EVENT appropriate, you’ll have more success in getting her to attend the game, match, or fight with you.

             

3) Hot Players

If she has to watch your team chase a ball for 90 minutes then the players better damn well be worth looking at.  So set your jealous alter ego aside, understand that the chances of her actually meeting that good looking center fielder, star quarterback, or homerun hitter are slim to none and let her make a comment or two about “how cute” he is or his “tight little butt.”  It’s a small price to pay to know that you’ll be able to happily watch the game on Sunday afternoons on the MAIN TV without a fight.

So, if you can find yourself a winning team, with good looking players and are able to purchase her a shirt and a couple accessories, I guarantee that your girlfriend will morph into a Sports Fan.  At least a fan enough to sit through your games, cheer when they score, and curse when they foul.  All we ask boys is that you treat us to a drink or two throughout the course of the game and promise to watch The Real Housewives of Wherever on DVR when we return home.

My personal transformation began as such:

A) Winning Team: Manchester United

B) Cute Clothes: Fitted Shirt and a Jersey of the Hot Player

C) Hot Player: Robin Van Persie

This magic combo has put a spell on me – eagerly awaiting Saturday morning games and happily volunteering to join M<3 at the bar to cheer and scream as a true Sports Fan.

Call Me, Crazy! Why I’m back in Austin.

Most people would call me crazy, leaving Austin only to move back 9 months later.  But that was not the intitial plan.  The initial plan was to stick it out in NYC for about 2 years and suck up as much of the “big city” life as possible in those sweet 2 years before moving back to Austin.  

Yes, the plan always included moving back to Austin. So, if I knew I was to be reunited with my beloved Austin eventually, why did the timeline change?  Well, let’s just say as much as I had convinced myself that I’d love NYC, in actuality, it just wasn’t for me.  It’s not that I “couldn’t cut it” because I did.  Ask my parents – I morphed into the stereotypical NY-er.  

I could navigate my way around the subways (with a little help from Google).  I could point tourists in the right direction when they were lost.  I had perfected the rude, eye rolling, fast paced NY-er lifestyle.  I acquired savvy street smarts for hailing a cab.  I learned to curse the oblivious, cellphone obsessed tourists.  I pleasantly accepted the elite dining experiences and acquired an eclectic taste for champagne & truffles from client dinners, while also learning to snobbishly turn my nose up at the overpriced Tiffany’s bracelet while bargaining in ChinaTown.  $15 for a knock-off?  Too much.  I felt like a true New Yorker.  

The problem was, I hated it. I hated spending my morning commute waiting for my transportation to arrive only to board a crowded train & be pushed and shoved through the entire ride.  After my morning groping, I’d then have the joy of walking a mile through the natural elements to my office.  By that time, any chance of arriving looking the least bit presentable was out the window.  My morning beauty efforts were wasted by the wicked wind, drenching rain, freezing snow, or sticky humidity.  And don’t even attempt to do this in heels because you can bet your ass you’d end up on it while trotting through the crowded sidewalks.  I hated working what felt like 24/7 with no free time to visit the gym, cook dinner, weekend adventures, or even make friends outside of the office.  My life was consumed with work, commuting, and recovering from the work week spent in the city.

I missed my old life.  I missed the sunshine.  I missed seeing greenery.  I missed smelling fresh cut grass.  I missed driving in my car and listening to the radio. I missed being able to cook dinner.  I missed reading. I missed watching my favorite televisions shows. I missed spending time with my boyfriend (outside of work).  I missed having girl friends. I missed having time to think. I missed laughing and being goofy.  I missed smiling.  Really smiling.  The big toothy smile where your grin spans ear to ear.  I missed being happy.

And that’s when I knew.  That’s when I knew that sometimes, even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else, you have to do what makes you happy.  You have to follow your heart. I knew that being back in Austin would make me happy, so we went.  And you know what, I’m happy. So call me crazy, crazy happy!

Here’s a little map of my travels:

Although I’ve lived in three different cities in the past three years, I’ve actually moved a total of 5 times. 

     1) Rochester > Austin

     2) Austin Apartment 1 > Austin Apartment 2

     3) Austin > NYC

     4) NYC Apartment 1 > NYC Apartment 2

     5) NYC > Austin

Public Notice: I will not be helping anyone pack or move in the near future, but feel free to contact me for mover or apartment hunting recommendations!